Uncoupling mechanism.



vL. T. CANFIELD.

UNCOUPLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILEID SEPT. 23, 1914.

1,111,933. Patented Julie 8, 1915.

A Ylllllllll ll @FFTQE LEWIS T. CANFIELD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

UNCOUPLING MECHANISM.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS T. CANFIELD, citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Uncoupling Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to uncoupling devices that are employed in connection with automatically operated railroad car couplers, and has for its general object the provision of an improved uncoupling lever mechanism affording suitable lost motion to maintain the proper inter-relation of the associated uncoupling pin and the lever while the coupler horn is free to move in all directions with respect to the .uncoupling lever handle.

As my invention is preferably practised, the shaft of the rocking handle is turned to form a crank that is in sliding connection with an intermediate portion of a separately formed lift arm that is universally mounted at one end upon the adjacent end sill, and has free sliding connection with the associate uncoupling pin by freely passing through the eye thereof. A pin which constitutes the pivot for the separately formed 11ft arm preferably cooperates with the plvot bracket to maintain the handle shaft and 11ft arm in assembly.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred embodiment thereof, and in whic Figure l is an end view of a car equipped with the preferred form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a, sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4:4 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a side view of the equipment looking from the right sideas the equipment is shown in Fig. 1.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The end sill 1 is shown in the form of a channel iron, in the channel of which the buffer block 2 is disposed. My invention may be associated, with various types of draft rigging, that shown including a coupler with a shank 3 upon the outer end of which a well-known form of knuckle 4 is Specification or Letters Patent. Application filed September 23, 1914. Serial No. 863,059.

tween the bracket branc Patented June 8, 1915.

located. An uncoupling pin 5 performs the usual and well-known coupling and uncoupling functions for which it is provided.

This-pin has an eye 6 at its upper end.

The lift arm 7 is obliquely .disposedwith respect to the length of the car, and is pivoted between the horizontal arms 8 of a bracket 9, which is riveted to the base of the channel 1, an upright pin 10 affording the-pivotal connection by passing through the eye 11 in which the pivoted end of the lift arm preferably terminates. The bore of the eye 11 is considerably larger than the shaft of the pivot pin, and the spacing bees 8 is considerably in excess of the upright dimensions or thickness of the eye, whereby the anchored end of the lift arm is afforded a form of universal or flexible connection with the end sill, which will permit the plane of the arm to shift and permit the lift arm to shift in any plane which it may occupy whereby its assembly with the uncoupling pin is main tained during the varying up and down, sidewise and endwise movements ofthe associate coupler. The lift arm is arc-shaped, as indicated at 12, this portion of the lift arm passing through the uncoupling pin eye 6 to be in lifting andsliding relation with the pin, and which portion 12 is substantially concentric with the curve of lateral swinging movements of the coupler are accompanied by the least about its pivot 10. The free end of the lift arm is pro vided with a hook 12 to prevent the complete withdrawal of the lift arm through the eye of the uncoupling pin.

The operating handle 13 is formed integrally with the handle shaft 14 out of the same rod of iron, this shaft passing throu h a bearing bracket 15 and between t e bracket branches 8. By observing Fig. 2, it will be noted that the pivot pin 10 serves to maintain the handle shaft 'and the lift arm in assembly, the handle shaft being first placed between the bracket branches 8 whereafter the eye 11 of the lift arm is vertically alined with the pivot holes in the receive the pivot pin prevent the handle shaft from being dispossible swinging. movements of the lift arm through all of these.

mounted by endwise movement. The inner end ofthe handle shaft engages an intermediate dportion of the lift arm. In thepreferre embodiment of the invention, the inner and crank end of the handle shaft is formed in a loop 17 between whose top and bottom branches the intermediate portion of the lift arm passes, though I do not limit myself to this loop formation. This loop is at right angles to the end sill and has a vertical plane'of movement coincident with the direction of travel of the car. The crank loop 17 accompanies the handle in the movements of the latter, whereby the obliquely disposed lift arm is swung in an upright plane, being accompanied in this movement by the pin 5, the loop having sliding engagement with the lift arm for this purpose.

When the handle is moved upwardly, the

pin 5 is elevated to permit of uncoupling.

When a downward movement of the handle occurs the structure is adjusted to permit of an automatic coupling operation.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred form of my in-' end and having sliding and lifting engagement. at its other end with the uncoupling pin; and a handle shaft carrying a cra which is in lifting and sliding engagement with an intermediate oblique portion of the lift arm, the end of the lift arm which is in lifting and sliding engagement with the uncoupling pin being curved to conform substantially to the curve of bodily movement of the pin as the coupler swings sidewise,

2'. Mechanism for uncoupling railroad cars, including an uncoupling pin; an obliquely end and having sliding and lifting engagement at its other end with the uncoupling pin; a handle shaft carrying a crank which is in lifting and sliding engagement with an intermediate oblique portion of the lift arm; a bracket having two branchesbetween which the handle shaft passes and between which the mounted end of the lift arm is disposed; and a pin which assembles the bracket and lift arm, the handle shaft being interposed between the base of the bracket and the latter pin, thereby to be maintained in assembly.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 4th day of Sept. A. D., 191 1.

LEWIS T. OANFIELD.

Witnesses: I

Lninm IVERSON, J W. HATHAWAY.

disposed lift armmounted at one' 

